After a brief, failed experiment paying me to do chores, my dad tried something really neat. It clearly took a bit of legwork, but maybe there are some transferrable lessons for parents who want to lay an entrepreneurial foundation.

He gave me a vending machine.

He rented the machine, found a location in a local workshop, and installed it. And then he told me two things.

1) That this would be the last time I was given allowance.

2) And that if I wanted to have any pocketmoney next week, I’d better spend this week’s on some inventory.